Not “resolutions” but “yearly goals.” Here are mine for 2019

Starting in 2013, I have set yearly goals for myself. 2019 is no different but the most challenging and out-of-comfort-zone. Previous annual goals were inward-looking: I was working on myself by changing a habit for example. This time around, I will need to use everything I’ve learned and push myself.

Testing the concept

Everything started five years ago, I was a little overweight and got a major wake up call — it had to be over. But truth be told, I knew that whatever diet plans wouldn’t work. I didn’t want to lose weight merely; I tried to change my eating habits so that I wouldn’t get overweight ever again. I didn’t overthink the program. I considered that a year would do to achieve this. That deadline was tight enough to fight against impatience, but it was long enough to force me into a different mindset. In that period of twelve months, I ended up loosing over 13 kg. I was excited but also felt like it validated my assumption of yearly goals to get my focus on achieving structural changes.

In 2014, the year after, I decided to work out and be physically active again. By the end of the year, I had picked up running, regular workout, and some yoga. Overall, a substantial improvement! As 2015 started, I decided to focus on my productivity at work. Being more efficient, rarely dropping the ball, and following up on projects with more intent. I used some elements from GTD and leveraged Todoist and Evernote. As anticipated, I could celebrate significant achievements by the end of the year. In 2016, the goal was to structure my routines and habits. Repeat sets of tasks on a daily/weekly/monthly basis. Avoiding procrastination with small tasks, repeated and perfected again and again.We moved to Mainland China from Hong Kong that year. So for 2017, I wanted to see if a Frenchman could nurture and grow tech ecosystems in the country. This experience has been brutal, but we made it, expanding our presence by 80%!

Reflecting on this journey

I came to realize that yearly goals are challenging. There are plenty of ups and downs, many opportunities to drop the ball. But focusing on the long term got me back on track every time.Looking back in time, I observe how all these small improvements have become a part of me. And looking forward, it feels like a lot more is possible to achieve.

In 2018, my yearly goal has been to learn how I could manage a team and delegate as much as possible. That’s not done yet, but the learning journey has been remarkable.

Getting ready for 2019

What will be the yearly goal for 2019? I found two for myself. The first one is writing. It has been very challenging, but I’m staying on top of it (this article is my twelfth). The second goal is filling a massive gap that I acknowledged last year. I was getting bad at staying in touch with people. My role is all about helping founders and community leaders. But I was doing a poor job at showing how much I care and appreciate their work. I realized that the only way for me to improve was to create a system — and using it. I have started implementing it, and I can’t wait to share my first impressions in an upcoming post.

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Matthieu Bodin

Matthieu Bodin is an entrepreneur and community builder.
After 9 years in Hong Kong and Shanghai, he moved to Amsterdam with his wife and baby girl!
View all posts by Matthieu Bodin